At least 54 Indian nationals were stranded along with the zero line along the Bangladesh-India border in Lalmonirhat on Wednesday (May 28) after Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and local residents jointly thwarted a reported push-in attempt.

The Indian nationals, reportedly Muslims from Assam, were seen attempting to cross into Bangladesh through various border points in four upazilas of Lalmonirhat district from early morning. 

BGB officials said members of India’s Border Security Force (BSF) had brought them to the border and abandoned them at the zero line.

Local villagers, armed with sticks, stood beside BGB personnel to block the entry of the group, who were reportedly trying to cross into Bangladesh in groups of 8 to 10 people.

Residents claimed the stranded individuals told them they were citizens of Assam and had land, homes, and vehicles in India. 

However, they said BSF officers had confiscated their identification documents before forcing them toward the Bangladeshi border.

In response to the incident, BGB has called for an emergency flag meeting with BSF at the battalion commander level. 

The meeting was scheduled to take place at 1:45pm on Wednesday at Main Pillar No. 924, according to a press release from the BGB's 15 Lalmonirhat Battalion.

BGB Rangpur Sector Commander Colonel Sabbir Ahmed confirmed the situation and said that the border force remains on high alert to prevent illegal entries. He added that further information would be disclosed after the flag meeting.

Bangladesh has previously expressed concern over similar push-in attempts, which often spark diplomatic tensions between Dhaka and New Delhi.

SMS/